Update: Officials postpone search for missing boater near Highlands

HIGHLANDS – The search for a missing boater has been postponed and authorities will continue searching in the morning, New Jersey State Police said.

The search was suspended because of lack of daylight and will resume Monday focusing in the same area near where a boat the man was believed to be piloting was found in the Shrewsbury River, state police spokesman Sgt. Adam Grossman said.

The approximately 25-foot clam boat was seen capsized near Captain’s Cove Marina and was found by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Sunday morning, Grossman said. A diver was seen Sunday afternoon searching the boat and sonar was being used, Grossman said.

The missing boater, identified as Edward Broderick, was reported missing by his friend at around 10 p.m. on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a release. The friend told the U.S. Coast Guard that he last heard from Broderick at around 6 p.m. and that he was heading to a clamming facility in Highlands.

U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Ali Flockerzi said the state police were searching near where the boat was found and the U.S. Coast Guard was searching the coastline in the Highlands area. The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search and has turned the investigation over to the state police, Flockerzi said.

Flockerzi said Broderick was heading to a nearby marina to turn in his day’s catch. However, Kelly Broderick, who identified herself as the missing man’s wife, said he already turned in his catch on Saturday.